2013 Daou Soul of a Lion
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Tasting notes
Deep ruby in color, the 2013 Soul Of A Lion is still a baby, loaded with cassis and accents of graphite, iodine and iron—this has barely budged in the last eight years! The palate is full-bodied with a fine, grainy frame, mineral-laced flavors and a very long finish. It's an expertly crafted Cabernet Sauvignon that inspires glee with its incredible youth, but it will require plenty more time in bottle to show everything it's got.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
(aged for 22 months in new French oak) Opaque ruby. Expansive, spice-tinged aromas of black currant, cherry liqueur, mocha and pipe tobacco pick up smoke and vanilla nuances in the glass. At once deeply concentrated and vibrant on the palate, showing superb clarity and spicy thrust to the sweet black and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors. Finishes smooth, smoky, sweet and extremely long, featuring hints of bitter chocolate and vanilla and supple, slow-mounting tannins.
Vivid purple. Deeply pitched aromas of dark berries, peppery spices and potpourri, with a hint of smoked meat emerging slowly. Fleshy and open-knit, showing good energy to its juicy blackberry and boysenberry flavors. Becomes spicier and livelier with air and finishes smoky and long, with firm grip and building tannins.
The 2013 Soul of a Lion is a noticeable step up from the 2012. This is also the first vintage to incorporate Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Smoke, licorice black fruit, crushed rocks and incense blossom in an intense, full-throttle wine endowed with serious depth. Attractive veins of underlying minerality are nearly buried by the sheer richness of the fruit. This is another highly promising wine from the Daou brothers. In 2013 the blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.